Rules of combined athletics

Decathletes and heptathletes score points based on their performances in each event. The athlete with the highest total at the end of the last event wins. The emphasis is on finishing strongly in all events rather than winning the odd one or two. A complex scoring system is in place to assure an athlete dominating one event cannot score as well as a strong performer across several disciplines.

In running events except the 1500m and 800m, the athletes are placed in heats based on their personal bests in those events, or as otherwise determined by the technical delegate. For drama, the 1500m and 800m runs, the final events in the decathlon and heptathlon, are arranged so one heat includes the leading competitors after the first nine (men) and six (women) events. For the field events, athletes are divided into two pools, based upon their personal bests in those events.

The rules for each event in the decathlon and heptathlon are essentially the same as the individual events, with a few variations. Athletes in the individual track races are disqualified if they false start twice, but decathletes and heptathletes are disqualified after three false starts.